Mechanism for facilitating the starting op internal-combustion engines



C. Y. KNIGHT.

MECHANISM FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. I918.

1 ,305,905. Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. Y KNIGHT. MECHANISM FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING 0F iNTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. IT, l9l8.

Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, 0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KNIGHTAMERICAN PATENTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AOOBPOBATION OFILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed Octoberii', 1818. Serial No. 258,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates,.re'siding at Pasadena, in the county of'Los An eles and State ofCalifornia, have inven certain new and useful Im rovements in Mechanismfor Facilitating t e Starting of Internal- Combustion Engines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the provision of mechanism of theclass named which shall be of improved construction and Fig. 2 is avertical section on line 2--2 of Fi 1 and I ig. 3 is a fragmentaryvertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In many cases the conditions under which internal combustion engines are0 erated, makes it imperative that the weigh of the engine andassociated arts shall be reduced to a minimum and on or such conditionsit is very desirable to dispense with the usual starting mechanism. Thisis especially true in aerial navigation and this renders the starting ofthe engine ver diflicult'unless special provision is made or thispurpose. In my copending application, Serial No. 242,278, filed June 27,1918, I have shown one form of internal combustion engine in which theengine cylinders and base rotate independently of the crank shaft and atdifferent rates of speed and in the drawings in the present applicationI have illustrated my invention as applied to an engine of this type. Inthe drawings, the numeral 10 designates the base or crank casing of aninter-. nal combustion engine provided with radially arranged cylinders11. The casing 10 is provided with a hollow journal 12 supported in abearing 13 which is carried by a frame member 14 of the machine operatedby the engine. At the side of the casing 10 and 1s journaled to rotatetherein.

opposite the bearing 13 a second bearing 15 1s supported by the frame 16and has journaled therein a projection 17 which extends from the casing10. In this way the casing 10 and the-englne cylinders 11 are mounted torotate freely in the frame members 14 and 15 of the machine operated bythe engine. The crank shaft 18 extends through the hol low pro ections12 and 17 of the casing 10 One end of the shaft 18 is connected with.the load to be driven which in the drawing is illustrated as a propellerblade 19 of an aeroplane. The opposite end of the crank shaft 18 isprovided with a gear 20 loose upon the shaft 18 but arranged to becaused to rotate therewith by a friction clutch 21. The clutch 21 isoperated by a lever 22 connected with the clutch by suitable links andheld in its various positions of ad'ustment by a ratchet 23. A spring 24may e provided to normally force the clutch into position to lock thegear 20 with the shaft 18. The gear 20 meshes with a larger gear 21which is formed integral with a pinion 25 meshing with an idler pinion26 which in turn drives a second arge gear 27. The gear 27 is rigidWithka shaft 28 journaled in a sleeve 29 u on the frame 16 of themachine and the s aft 28 carries a sprocket 29 which drives a sprocketchain 30. The sprocket chain 30 passes around a sprocket wheel 31 formedintegral with the engine casing 10.

When the engine is operated the shaft 18 and casing 10 will, of course,be rotated relative to one another and the chain of gearing driven bythe 'inion 20 on the shaft 18 determines the re ative speed of rotationof the two engine parts upon the frame 16. It will be seen that thecasing 10 will be rotated through the reduction gearing at,acomparatively low speed while the shaft 18 and the propeller blade 19will be driven at a rapaid rate of speed in an opposite direction. ythis arrangement the advantages of a rotating engine base and cylindersare secured without the 'disadvanta resulting from the rapid speed ofrotation incident to the type of engine in which the c linder baserotates at the rate of speed 0 parts.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the end of the shaft 18 has rigidly securedthereto a ratchet the driven.

wheel 32 and a pawl 33 is pivoted on the out of engagement with" theratchet wheel.

In starting an en ine of this type, the clutch 21 is disconnecte and thepawl 33 is moved out of engagement with the ratchet 32. This leaves theengine casing 10 and the shaft 18 free to be rotated in unison with oneanother and consequently the entire mass may be rotated as a free wheelwithout shifting the pistons in their cylinders and consequently withoutthe resistance due to compression in the cylinders. This makes itcomparatively easy to bring the speedpf rotation of the engine base upto a point where the movin parts will possess considerable energy@ecause of their momentum. The parts will be rotated in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed. in Figs. 2 and 3. When themomentum of the moving parts has become sufficiently great, the operatorwill move the pawl 33 into engagement with the ratchet 32 and thus stopthe rotation of the shaft 18 leaving the casing 10 free to continue itsrotation in a counterclockwise direction. This of course will causerelative rotation between the crank shaft and engine base and aconsequent movement of the pistons in their cylinders exactly the sameas if the engine base were held stationary and the engine cranked intheusual manner in starting. It will be noted that when the shaft 18 isbrought to a stop the two relative] movable parts of the engine will berotating in the same direction relative to one another that they assumeduring the operation of the engine and consequently as. soon as the exlosions in the cylinders begin, the parts W1 Icontinue to rotate in thesame direction relative to one another but the relative rotation will bekept u 1 b the energy of the explosions in the cylin ers. The clutch21may now be thrown in so that the engine frame and shaft may be broughtto their proper speed of rotation relative to the machine frame, andwhen this has been accomplished the engine will be operating in a normalway. When the explosions be in in theengine cylinder the tendenc wi 1 beto rotate the shaft 18 is a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3,and the heavy parts, including the engine frame. and cylinder casings,in a counter-clockwise direction. As these heavy parts are alreadymoving in this direction, therewill be no sudden strain brought upon theengine but the heavy parts will continue to move in the same directionin which they are already going. There will be no out resistance to-themovement of the sha in the direction in which it is rotated because itrotates freely under the pawl 33 in this direction.

It will be apparent that instead of bringing the shaft 18 to a suddenstopby throwing the pawl 33 into engagement with theratchet 32, theengine may be started by first bringing the heavy parts 10 and 11 up tothe necessary speed to give them the required momentum and then throwingthe clutch 21 into engagement with the gear 20 which will producerelative rotation of the shaft 18 and engine cylinders 11 in a for warddirection and cause explosions to occur in the cylinders in the same wayas if the engine were cranked in the usual manner.

I claim;

1. In combination, a motor mounted to rotate and having a shaft arrangedto be driven thereb means for preventing rotation ofsaid s aft whileother parts of said motor continue to rotate to cause relative movementof said shaft and rotating parts for the purpose of starting theoperation of said motor.

2. In combination, a motor having the frame member thereof mounted forrotation and having a crank shaft arran ed to rotate relative to saidframe during t e operation of said motor, means for supporting saidframe andshaft to rotate in unison with one another, and means forstoppin the rotation of said shaft to cause relative rotation of saidframe and shaft for the purpose of starting the operation of said motor.

3. In. an internal combustion engine, an engine base having enginecylinders mounted thereon, means for supporting said base and cylindersso that they are free to rotate, a shaft connected with said cylindersto be drven thereby, means for supporting said shaft so that it is freeto rotate with said engine base and cylinders, and means for checkingthe rotation of said shaft to cause relative movement between said baseand shaft for the purpose of starting the operation of said motor.

4. An internal combustion engine having a rotary crank shaft, cylindersarranged to rotate about said crank shaft, means for sup- "porting saidshaft and cylinders so that thev are free.to rotate in unison with oneanother, and means for holding said shaft to cause it to rotate relativeto sa d cylinders for the purpose of starting theoperation of saidengine.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine having cylindersand a crank shaft both arranged to rotate, of means for supporting saidcylinders and crank shaf so that the. are free to rotate in' unison with one anot er, and means for causing said cylinders and shaft torotate relatively to one another.

6. An internal combustion en ine comprising a base having cylinders anauxiliary mechanism connected therewith, a rotary crank shaft driven bysaid cylinders, s eed reduction gearing driven by said crank s ft forrotating said base, cylinders and auxiliary mechanism carried therebcy,and means for disconnecting said speed re uction gearing to permit saidbase and crank shaft to rotate in unison with one another.

7. In an internal combustion engine, driving mechanism and a drivenmember, means for supporting said driving mechanism and driven member tomove in unison with one another to develop kinetic energy in said movingparts, and means for causing said parts to move relative to one anotherunder the influence of the energy thus developed for the purpose ofstarting the operation of said engine.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a base member having cylindersconnected therewith, a crank shaft journaled to rotate in said basemember and driven by said engine, bearings for supporting said basememher and shaft so that they are free to rotate in unison with oneanother to develop energy of rotation, and means for checking therotation of said shaft While said engine base continues to move thusproducing relative rotation between said shaft and engine base for thepurpose of starting the operation of said engine.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a base having cylinders carriedthereby, a crank shaft journaled in said base and driven by saidcylinders, means for supporting said base and shaft so that they arefree to rotate in unison with one another, means for connecting saidshaft and base to cause thenr to rotate relative to one another, andmeans for throwing said connecting means into and out of operativerelation with said engine base and shaft.

10. In combination, an engine comprising a driving portion and a drivenportion adapted for relative rotation during the normal operation of theengine, a starting mechanism therefor including means for rotating bothof said portions in unison and subsequently changing the speed of one ofsaid portions with respect to the other to cause the engine to assumeits normal cyclic function.

11. In combination, an engine comprising a driving portion and a drivenportion adapted for relative rotation during the normal operation of theengine, a starting mechanism therefor including means for rotating bothof said portions in unison and subsequently preventing rotation of saiddriven portion to cause the engine to assume its normal cyclic function.

12. In combination, an engine comprising a driving portion and a drivenportion mounted for rotation in unison, means for effecting a change inspeed of said driven portion, and means actuated by said driven portionfor continuing the rotation of said driving portion in the direction inwhich it is first moved.

13. In combination, an internal combustion engine having both cylindersand crank shaft adapted for relative rotation durin the normal operationof the engine, an starting mechanism therefor comprising means forrotating both the cylinders and crank shaft in unison, and subsequentlychanging the speed of the crank shaft relative to-the cylinders in orderto cause the engine to assume its cyclic function.

14. In combination, an internal combustion engine comprising cylindersand a crank shaft adapted for relative rotation with respect to eachother during the normal operation of the engine, and starting mechanismtherefor including means for rotating both the cylinders and crank shaftin unison, and means for subsequently retarding the rotation of thecrank shaft to effect the starting of the en ine.

15. In com ination, a driving mechanism comprising an internalcombustion engine mounted for rotation and havin a crank shaft mountedto rotate both in unlson therewith and in a reverse direction withrespect thereto, means for preventing rotation of said shaft to effect astarting of the engine, and means actuated by said shaft for continuingthe rotation of the engine in the direction in which it is first moved.

16. The method of starting an internal combustion engine in which adriving and a driven portion are adapted to rotate relative to eachother during the normal operation of the engine, which consists inrotating both the driving and driven portions in umson to store energyin the rotating mass, and subsequently retarding the rotation of one ofthe said portions to permit the stored energy to be utilized in causingthe engine to assume its cyclic function.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this14th day of October, A. I 1918.

CHARLES Y. KNIGHT.

